The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Saying Yes to God" for Friday, 29 April 2016 with Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-9

The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Saying Yes to God" for Friday, 29 April 2016 with Scripture: Ephesians 1:3 Praised be Adonai, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who in the Messiah has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven. 4 In the Messiah he chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in his presence. 5 He determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be his sons — in keeping with his pleasure and purpose — 6 so that we would bring him praise commensurate with the glory of the grace he gave us through the Beloved One.7 In union with him, through the shedding of his blood, we are set free — our sins are forgiven; this accords with the wealth of the grace 8 he has lavished on us. In all his wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us his secret plan, which by his own will he designed beforehand in connection with the Messiah

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Paul wrote, “I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance.”[Ephesians 1:18 (CEB)]
After our wedding, my husband and I moved to a new country. During my first church service there, I found an announcement asking for articles for the local church magazine. The thought of writing something lingered with me for a few minutes, but then I forgot about it.
The next week when we came to church, the same announcement appeared in the pew sheet. Then the pastor announced that if the Holy Spirit led anyone to write, their contribution would be welcomed. I had never written about the gospel before; I didn’t know if I could offer any wisdom to spread God’s word. But I listened to the Holy Spirit’s call and wrote for the magazine. My articles received praise from the pastor and other members of the congregation.
God has beautiful ways of working in our lives and of drawing us closer. God created every life on earth to fulfill a divine purpose. We do not know our full potential, but our Creator does. God waits patiently for us to discover and say yes to that purpose.
Read more from the author, here."More from Deepika Emmanuel Sagar"
I always used to wonder: how do people have testimonies? I was not viewing my life through God’s perspective, and so I could not understand his grace. And when I did, I realized I had so much to thank God for. God has blessed me with a spiritual gift of writing. Even though I put my name at the end of my writings I always say this: it is not me who has written, but it’s a revelation from God. So all the credit and praises go to him, not to me. This devotional is my testimony which marks the beginning of my journey of recognizing my spiritual gift and using it for God's purpose. I want to encourage my readers to recognize their spiritual gifts through prayer and use them for the spread of the kingdom. We are called to live as ambassadors of reconciliation.
It might be a common observation that corrupt people prosper while those with a clear conscience remain in pain. Many questions arise in our minds during such situations. Things might remain in an ugly shape for sometime, but at the end an unshakable faith in God will be rewarded. Seeing our lives through God’s perspective is the key to divine peace. This can happen by nurturing our faith by reading of his word, knowing his will, and sincere prayers. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit reveals things which we can never understand by our own wisdom. People should be able to see in our lives the grace of God and the abundance of his unconditional love.
You must have seen people going through various trials: broken relationships, financial crisis, health issues, and others. Though these hardships bring a period of struggle, those who put their battle in God’s hands, believing in him for their present and future, come out of these trials victoriously. For when we place our faith in God we are more than conquerors through he who loves us (Romans 8:37). Only the one who walks in the light can keep his head high even while walking in the valley.
Taking one day at a time can help resolve many matters. It’s not necessary for us to have answers for all questions regarding our struggle. When we live by faith we understand his divine assurance, which promises nothing but the best.
God can reveal his power through our trials. Trials can be a time to spend time with God, understanding his amazing love and grace. In the midst of trials guard yourself and keep yourself aligned to the will of God through his word. ‘In all things God works for the good of those who love him’ (Romans 8:28). Amen.[Deepika Emmanuel Sagar, Check out Deepika's blog here: desforgod.wordpress.com]

.Editor's Note: The printed version of this devotional contained an error. We apologize for the mistake.
The Author: Deepika Sagar (Rajasthan, India)
Thought for the Day: I can participate in God’s creativity.
Prayer: Dear Lord, give us hearts willing to follow whenever we hear your call. Amen.
Prayer focus: Christian writers

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